Bijan Madjlessi, Real Estate Developer Facing Federal Charges, Dies in Mount Tam Crash Into Embankment

An autopsy was performed Wednesday on the body of a Marin County real estate developer killed Tuesday in a car crash.

The gold-colored Mercedes belonging to Bijan Madjlessi tumbled 400 feet down an embankment along Highway 1 just outside of Mill Valley on Mount Tamalpais. Madjlessi was found dead inside.

The 58-year-old was facing federal and state fraud charges in connection with a Sonoma County development. If convicted, Madjlessi faced the possibility of decades in prison.

Madjlessi’s family reported him missing on Sunday.

The website Petaluma 360 says the subsequent law enforcement alert stated Madjlessi was a potential suicide risk.

Madjlessi and three others were indicted in April. They are accused of conspiring to defraud Sonoma Valley Bank, which collapsed in 2010. He was scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing this week.

His lawyer says Madjlessi was innocent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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